The policy extension of… radical love to his son is a full embrace of harm reduction and expanding the conversation about use disorder beyond opioids… has gone from viewing people who use drugs as “addicts running around… already robbing you” to his “beautiful son.” Part of that is likely the impact of seeing the struggle…
A proposed constitutional amendment that would prevent the legalization of pot [and “illegal” psychoactives] in the state… Backers say the state Constitution needs to be changed because neighboring states have approved marijuana use, and it could happen in Idaho. Original Article (KTVB):Constitutional ban on legal marijuana advances in Idaho SenateArtwork Fair Use: Nancy Reilly Young
…offers the information in a spirit of radical transparency because he believes that if “grown-ups” like him would talk freely about the role of drugs in their lives, we wouldn’t be in the mess we are in… [Dr. Carl Hart, a tenured professor of psychology at Columbia University, an experienced neuroscientist, a father] argues that…
…office said it will immediately start treating drug possession cases exempt from prosecution under Measure 110 as a public health matter, rather than a criminal one. The district attorney cited overwhelming support for Measure 110 – more than 74% of Multnomah County voters approved the measure – as reason for his early adoption. Original Article…
Vancouver would become the first Canadian city to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of illicit drugs under a new proposal aimed at reducing the number of overdose deaths. If approved by council, the city and Vancouver Coastal Health will submit a formal request to the federal ministers of Health and Public Safety and to…
The Governor’s Budget invests $112.6 million to implement Measure 110 which decriminalizes possession of drugs and invests $5.6 million to begin implementing Measure 109, which legalized psilocybin for medicinal use as a potential treatment for behavioral health disorders… The budget recognizes the enormous need for behavioral health services and includes significant funding for substance use…
For… users, the potential pitfalls of [blanket] decriminalization are frightening and all too likely to happen. One fear they have about decriminalization is that authorities will drop criminal punishments, only to raise an oppressive regime of civil penalties – specifically, issuing tickets and fines… a fear is that… decriminalize [all] drugs, that’s where the experiment…
There were 8,903 drug simple drug possession arrests in the state in fiscal year 2018, according to the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission—or more than one every hour. The initiative has also been endorsed by more than 50 other organizations, including ACLU Oregon, United Seniors of Oregon, Oregon Latino Health Coalition, Oregon State Council For Retired Citizens, the NAACP…
As calls to divest, defund and abolish local police agencies echo across the U.S., it is also time to elevate those calls to apply to federal paramilitary agencies including the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). As a first step, Congress must open an investigation into the DEA and immediately oppose the use of federal resources to…
More broadly though, [NORML Political Director Justin Strekal] connected this expansion of DEA powers to how the DEA has enforced the drug war far beyond cannabis… [for 14 days starting June 2nd, 2020]. “Drug enforcement agents should not be conducting covert surveillance of protests and First Amendment protected speech,” [said Hugh] Handeyside, a senior attorney…
